초록

Called off while still under negotiation, the impact of the failed SACU-USA Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will most likely never be known. Diverse opinions abound regarding the possible benefits and disadvantages of this would-be pioneering pact between a developed country and a group of developing countries. It is argued in this paper that there is no clear-cut answer to this complex question and that the implications of the agreement would depend largely on its specific content and the extent to which it accommodated the interests of all concerned. To determine how the agreement would have affected the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) in particular, several existing FTAs between the USA and other countries, all of which bear striking similarity, are examined. The paper also explores the significance of ACU’s refusal to endorse what it perceived to be an unfavourable agreement and what this means for the future of trade between Africa and the West.